Podcasts about Ranchi

In this episode of Stories from the Subverse, we present our first Cataplisms audio story. The Cataplisms project examines our multispecies entanglements, critiques capitalism, and acknowledges the cataclysms at our doorstep, all through a feline lens. In this episode, we hear from someone personally and professionally invested in the fate of big cats and the forests they live in. Raza Kazmi is a conservationist, writer and wildlife historian, who focuses on East Central India. His childhood in Jharkhand's Palamu region, surrounded by the forest's flora and fauna, including tigers and leopards, ignited his passion for protecting these cats, and his connection with forest landscapes. Kazmi illustrates how industrialization and capitalism have threatened India's tigers and other wildlife. A web of mines, dams, and other infrastructure projects within forest areas and critical wildlife corridors pockmark the forests of East Central India. This has fragmented habitats and disrupted migration routes, disorienting animals like elephants and tigers and exacerbating human-wildlife conflict. Kazmi shares that the lack of charismatic wildlife makes it easier to divert forest areas for more mining projects. Both people and animals who depend on these forests are adversely affected.  He delves into the drastic decline of animals, including tigers and leopards, in Palamu due to hunting coupled with the expansion of industries, which has pushed these animals to the brink, crossing an ecological Rubicon, and making urgent conservation intervention critical. Kazmi also talks about the lack of charismatic wildlife, or animals with mass appeal like tigers and elephants, in the area and how that can make it easier to divert forests for more mining or urbanisation projects. The destruction of these ecosystems thanks to expansion and hunting, has led to desperate circumstances. Raza shares the story of a male tiger's five-year trek across multiple states in search of a mate. The tiger's struggle underscores how capitalistic development has fragmented natural corridors, forcing wildlife to navigate human-dominated spaces rather than the jungles they belong in. But not all hope is lost. Kazmi emphasizes the pivotal role that local communities play in conservation. They are essential for saving tigers and other wildlife from the destructive forces of industrialization. He believes that, “if the forests are there, there will always be the hope of the wildlife returning.” About Raza Kazmi Raza Kazmi is a conservationist, writer, wildlife historian, storyteller and researcher. His fields of expertise include India's wildlife and forest administration history, conservation policy and conservation issues afflicting the insurgency-ridden east-central Indian landscape. His writings appear in national newspapers (The Hindu, The Indian Express), online media houses (The Wire, FiftyTwodotin, RoundGlass Sustain) as well as various magazines and journals (Frontline, Seminar, The India Forum, Journal of Bombay Natural History Society, Sanctuary Asia, Cheetal, etc.). He has also contributed essays to edited anthologies. A recipient of the New India Foundation Fellowship for 2021, he is currently writing a book tentatively titled To Whom Does the Forest Belong? The Fate of Green in the Land of Red. He works as a Conservation Communicator with the Wildlife Conservation Trust, and also teaches as a Guest Faculty for Wildlife Management at the Forest Guard Training Schools in Chaibasa and Ranchi in Jharkhand.  

This is the Catchup on 3 Things by The Indian Express and I'm Flora Swain. Today is the 11th of March and here are the headlines. Prime Minister Narendra Modi received a warm welcome from the Indian diaspora upon his arrival in Mauritius on Tuesday. Women performed the traditional Bihari cultural dance, Geet Gawai, to honor him. He was greeted by Mauritian PM Navinchandra Ramgoolam, who presented him with a garland at Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport. Modi is in Mauritius for a two-day visit as the chief guest at the National Day celebrations. His trip includes inaugurating 20 India-funded projects, ranging from capacity building to community-linked infrastructure. Both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha resumed today at 11 am, with discussions centered around new bills and the Manipur budget. The Lok Sabha is set to discuss President's Rule in Manipur and hear the presentation of the Manipur budget by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. A new bill on immigration services was also introduced, sparking opposition debate. Congress leader Manish Tewari called the Immigration and Foreigners Bill, 2025, unconstitutional, while the government defended its legislative competence to introduce the bill under the Union list.Delhi remains the world's most polluted capital for the sixth consecutive year, with an average PM 2.5 concentration of 91.8 μg/m3, according to the 2024 World Air Quality Report. The report reveals that 13 of the 20 most polluted cities globally are in India, including Byrnihat and Faridabad. India ranks as the fifth most polluted country, with a concerning average Air Quality Index (AQI) of 50.6 μg/m3. This is ten times higher than the World Health Organization's annual PM2.5 guideline, highlighting India's ongoing air quality crisis.Gangster Aman Sahu was killed in an encounter on Tuesday morning in Jharkhand's Palamu district. Authorities said Sahu's gang attempted to free him while he was being transported from Raipur jail to Ranchi. Sahu was involved in over 100 criminal cases, including murder and extortion. Police also suspected ties to the Lawrence Bishnoi gang. His death follows several convictions in criminal cases. The encounter occurred after an attempt to break him free from police custody during his transfer. Shares on Wall Street plunged on Monday, marking one of the worst trading days since 2022, fueled by concerns about President Donald Trump's trade policies. Investors are worried that a trade war could push the US economy into a recession, with Trump expressing ambivalence about the prospect. Despite earlier responses to market movements, Trump now hints at economic pain in the short term. The tech-heavy NASDAQ dropped over 4%, with Tesla suffering the most, falling more than 10%, marking a sharp decline from its December peak.This was the Catch Up on 3 Things by the Indian Express.

This is the Catchup on 3 Things by The Indian Express and I'm Flora Swain.Today is the 27th of February and here are the headlines.The Uttarakhand High Court reviewed provisions of the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) amid a public interest litigation. The court questioned the state's ability to make changes to the UCC, particularly regarding mandatory live-in registrations. Senior advocate Vrinda Grover argued that the UCC imposes unnecessary surveillance, as information about individuals is sent directly to local police stations. The court also questioned whether the UCC grants police powers for domiciliary visits, which it found to be a potential violation of rights.Congress leader Sam Pitroda caused controversy with a speech where he claimed to have spoken at the "Indian Institute of Technology-Ranchi." The Ministry of Education fact-checked his statement, clarifying there is no IIT in Ranchi but an IIIT, which Pitroda had not been invited to. The ministry condemned his remarks, asserting they were reckless and could damage the reputation of the prestigious institute. Legal action was warned for any attempt to malign its image.A probationary primary teacher at Kendriya Vidyalaya in Jehanabad, Bihar, was suspended after videos of her making derogatory comments about Bihar went viral. The teacher criticized her posting in Bihar, calling it “unacceptable” and disparaging the people of the state. She claimed Bihar's citizens lacked civic sense and blamed the state for India's development struggles. The video sparked outrage, with many questioning the appropriateness of such remarks from an educator.US President Donald Trump announced plans to impose a 25% tariff on European Union imports, particularly targeting cars. Trump criticized the EU, claiming it was "formed to screw the United States." He pointed out the EU's higher tariffs and value-added taxes, which are significantly steeper than those in the US. The announcement comes amid ongoing trade tensions between the US and the EU, with officials raising concerns over European taxation policies.Hollywood legend Gene Hackman, 95, and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, were found dead in their New Mexico home on Wednesday. Authorities confirmed the couple's deaths, along with their dog, but stated that no foul play was suspected. Hackman, known for iconic roles in films like The French Connection, had lived in the Santa Fe Summit community. Sheriff Adan Mendoza assured that while the investigation is ongoing, foul play is not considered a factor in their deaths.This was the Catch Up on 3 Things by the Indian Express.

This week, host Basant Kumar is joined by Ranchi-based independent journalist Anand Dutta and Newslaundry's Drishti Choudhary.Anand talks about his IndiaSpend report for which he trekked for several hours in remote areas of Jharkhand to understand how it is like for vulnerable sections to access healthcare. Across India, people have to cover an average distance of 13.55 km to reach a community health centre, and the problem is not limited to Jharkhand.Drishti, meanwhile, spoke about her reportage on the Delhi elections, including her video report on what voters feel in Asia's largest unauthorised colony of Sangam Vihar.Tune in.Timecodes00:00:00:00 - Introduction00:04:30:00 - Jharkhand's Healthcare Access Report00:23:31:09 - Delhi Elections Reports00:32:44:18 - RecommendationsRecommendationsDrishtiThe Midas touch of Ashwini VaishnawBasantWhat a four-hour trek reveals about Jharkhand's healthcare accessAnandDavanal: Maovad Se Jung by Nandini SundarProduced by Hassan Bilal, edited by Samarendra Kumar, recorded by Anil Kumar. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to Top of the Morning by Mint, your weekday newscast that brings you five major stories from the world of business. It's Friday, December 13, 2024. This is Nelson John, let's get started. The buzz around Google's new quantum computing chip, Willow, is huge because it represents a significant step in quantum computing technology, which could potentially revolutionize several industries. Unlike traditional computers, which represent data as either a 0 or 1, quantum computers use qubits that can represent both at the same time. This allows quantum computers to process vast amounts of data much faster than the best supercomputers. However, adding more qubits usually introduces more errors, making the system less reliable. Willow is exciting because it reportedly reduces these errors even as it adds more qubits. Despite this breakthrough, we're not quite at the point where quantum computers are ready for everyday use. They are still very much in the experimental stage, primarily useful for specific types of computations like cryptography and complex modelling. Leslie D'Monte explains how Google's new chip will affect computing in the age of AI. India's retail investors are seeing a significant shift in their options trading habits due to recent regulatory changes aimed at minimizing widespread losses. Following new rules by Sebi, which limit the number of weekly expiries to just two, trading volumes have seen a marked decrease, Ram Sahgal reports. The first week under this new regime saw a 30% drop in the number of index options traded—down from 3.04 billion to 2.14 billion contracts. Despite the drop in contracts, there was a slight increase in the total value of these trades, thanks to a surge in activity right before a major monetary policy announcement. This kind of spike isn't new; similar increases in trading volume have occurred during other significant market-moving events in the past. The quick commerce scene in India is getting a fresh twist with startups like Medino's, Medstown, and Plazza jumping into the fast medicine delivery game. They're delivering meds in 30 minutes, targeting smaller cities, and are up against big names like Flipkart and Swiggy. Taskar's CEO, Prasoon Pal told Samiksha Goyal and Sowmya Ramasubramanian that he launched Medino's to specialize in speedy deliveries, promising meds in 30 minutes or they're free. Aman Priyadarshi, after leaving Zomato, saw a gap in the market and started Plazza in Bengaluru for super quick deliveries, aiming to save customers the hassle of traditional pharmacy visits. Syed Hussaini of Medstown has fine-tuned their delivery process over two years and began speedy service in Hyderabad this September. As these companies look to expand—Medino's to 22 cities and Medstown to 20—they're also on the hunt for funding to grow even bigger.As India gears up for a broader 5G rollout, telecom operators are shifting their focus from the bustling metros to the burgeoning tier 2, 3, and 4 regions, as well as rural areas. Gulveen Aulakh writes about the data from Bernstein Societe Generale Group revealing that consumers in tier 2 cities are using about 35-40 GB of data per capita each month—approximately 15-20% more than those in metro areas. This usage spikes even higher during events like the Indian Premier League. In tier 2 cities such as Jodhpur, Ranchi, and Lucknow, 5G penetration is quickly catching up to that of tier 1 cities, with penetration rates of 35-40%. This burgeoning demand is prompting telecom companies like Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio to expand their network infrastructure into these less urban areas. The focus on non-metro regions is not just about covering more geographic territory but also capitalizing on the rapid revenue growth seen in these areas.After the public offer for ‘PropShare Platina' opened on December 2, Bengaluru entrepreneur Sandeep Gupta was quick to show interest. Seeing real estate as a lucrative investment, he was drawn to the new scheme from Property Share, aiming to raise ₹353 crore to acquire and lease back office space in Bengaluru. This scheme, part of India's first small and medium real estate investment trust (SM Reit), offers a more targeted investment in specific properties compared to traditional Reits. SM Reits, regulated by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi), have a lower threshold for property value and allow investments starting from ₹50 crore up to ₹500 crore. This makes them accessible to ventures like PropShare Platina, focusing on singular, income-yielding properties. These trusts are seen as a way to organize and boost investments in India's fragmented office market, which is rich with Reit-worthy spaces. Madhurima Nandy takes a detailed look. 

Devendra Fadnavis to be Maharashtra's next CM? Amit Shah's key meeting with Mahayuti leaders today, Ranchi Schools Closed Today For Hemant Soren's Swearing-In Ceremony, Attacks on minorities in Bangladesh: Indian-American body urges Biden, Trump to intervene, KL, Axar to play big role in terms of responsibility: DC co-owner on team's batting line-up,

On this week's Stumped with Alison Mitchell, Charu Sharma and Brett Sprigg, former India wicketkeeper Saba Karim joins the team to discuss the fall-out from New Zealand's historic Test series win in India and what's next for India's men as they prepare to head to Australia for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Plus, former West Indies CEO Johnny Grave tells us how a new broadcast deal could help cricket in the region and welcomes West Indies women's return to playing Test matches from 2026 as part of the updated Future Tours Programme announced by the International Cricket Council.Photo: India captain Rohit Sharma during day four of the 4th Test Match between India and England at JSCA International Stadium Complex on February 26, 2024 in Ranchi, India. (Credit: Getty Images)

Born and raised in undivided Bihar, Mrityunjay Sharma is a first-generation entrepreneur and social activist. An engineering graduate from BIT Mesra, Ranchi and an MBA from XLRI Jamshedpur, Mrityunjay worked in various senior HR roles at Asian Paints before moving to the hinterlands of Chhattisgarh, where he worked with the then chief minister Dr Raman Singh on developmental issues. He subsequently moved to his home state of Jharkhand to work at the grassroots. Sharma is the co-founder of Ranchi-based start-up biofie.com. He also runs a social initiative called Kartavyapath to teach mathematics to underprivileged children and is a visiting faculty at several institutes, including the IIMs. His book ‘Broken Promises' tells the story of Bihar's plunge into an abyss of crime, corruption and economic ruin during the tumultuous decade of the 1990s, often referred to as the ‘Jungle Raj' years. 00:00 British, Nehru & Lalu 06:11 Mafia Raj before Lalu 07:44 Suryadeo Singh & Gangs of Wasseypur 10:26 Rise of Pappu Yadav in Kosi-Seemanchal 13:03 Rise & fall of Anand Mohan 18:01 Why Lalu Yadav & RJD fear Pappu Yadav 20:51 Story of ‘Chote Sarkar' Anant Singh of Mokama 25:13 How Ranvir Sena was born 28:48 Ranvir Sena & caste massacres 34:43 Jungle Raj of Lalu Prasad Yadav & family 37:02 IAS officer who exposed Chaara Ghotala 43:07 Kidnapping Industry of Bihar 48:20 Pakruah Byah of Bihar 50:42 How Lalu & family became landlords 54:51 Ranjeet Don & paper leak industry of Bihar 59:00 If Lalu was so bad, how he kept winning?

MS Dhoni, the flamboyant wicketkeeper batsman from Ranchi led India to many a historic win and etched his name into the history books as one of the absolute best, but the love and adulation he receives from Chennai as a member of the Chennai Super Kings is perhaps unparalleled. How did this unique relationship between the fans and the icon come about? What's the secret behind Dhoni pushing himself to the limit for an ardent Chennai crowd despite having said goodbye to other forms of cricket? And how is it that despite his age, Dhoni's batting stats keep getting better with each subsequent edition? Our host Cyrus Broacha deciphers the man, the myth, the legend: M.S. Dhoni.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is the Catch Up on 3 Things for the Indian Express and I'm Flora Swain.It's the 7th of May and here are today's headlines.The third phase of the Lok Sabha elections is underway today with voters in 93 parliamentary constituencies across 11 states and Union Territories casting their ballot to elect the new government. The state of Gujarat and the union territories of Goa, and Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu will complete polling in a single phase on Tuesday. Among the other constituencies voting in the third phase are four in Assam, five in Bihar, seven in Chhattisgarh, eight in Madhya Pradesh, 11 in Maharashtra, 10 in Uttar Pradesh and four in West Bengal.The Supreme Court today said that if it grants interim bail to Arvind Kejriwal, he cannot function as the chief minister as it will have “cascading effect” on other issues. The court noted, quoted, “We are on the issue of propriety today, not on legality. We do not want anything to affect the functioning of the government," Unquote. Former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia's judicial custody in the excise policy corruption case has been extended until 15th of May.In his first-ever comments on the sexual assault allegations against now-suspended JD(S) leader Prajwal Revanna, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that there was “zero tolerance” for such people. During an interview with a national TV channels, he also hit out at the Congress party, questioning the timing of the release of the videos, during an interview with TV channel Times Now. He questioned, quote, “...if it happened in Karnataka, then the Karnataka government is responsible to take action,” Unquote.The Enforcement Directorate has arrested Jharkhand Congress Minister Alamgir Alam's personal secretary Sanjiv Lal and the officer's domestic help. This follows raids conducted at various premises yesterday which led to the seizure of around Rs 34.50 crore in cash. Hours later, a Special Court in Ranchi remanded Lal and his house help to seven-day ED custody, after the agency submitted that names of senior bureaucrats and politicians have emerged. The agency also alleged that “officials from top to bottom” of Rural Development Department were involved in a money laundering nexus.The Israeli military said it had established “operational control” over the Gaza side of the Rafah crossing in the southern Gaza Strip overnight Monday into Tuesday. Footage broadcast on Israeli media showed an Israeli flag flying on the Gaza side of the crossing, though the Israeli army refused to comment on the flag. On Monday night, the Israeli military said it was carrying out “targeted strikes” in eastern Rafah. It said 20 Hamas militants were killed in the operation and it discovered three tunnel shafts. An Israeli army official said the vast majority of people located in the evacuation zone have left.This was the Catch-Up on the 3 Things by The Indian Express.

When more than 5,500 international students begin their Syracuse University journeys, they face different challenges from their domestic counterparts. Besides leaving behind their families, their friends and everything they've ever known, for many international students, the first time they step foot on campus is often the day they arrive to embark on their Syracuse journeys. That was the case for Adya Parida '25, who traveled nearly 7,700 miles from Ranchi, India to study computer science in the College of Engineering and Computer Science; Yajie (Lannie) Lan G'24, who ventured more than 7,300 miles from Chengdu, China to study architecture in the School of Architecture; and Angelica Molina G'25, who traveled more than 2,700 miles from Cali, Colombia to earn her master's degree in public administration and international relations in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs. These students discuss their respective journeys to Syracuse University, how they found success and a welcoming community on campus, their advice for fellow international students and how they plan on making a difference in their communities once they graduate.

India's dominance in Rajkot | Dhruv Jurel's masterclass | Akash Deep's impressive debut | Gill finding form | Patidar struggles | Joe Root's classy ton| Ashwin's 500 and Vihari-ACA controversy. We got it all covered in this episode.

New Zealand v Australia, Wellington Day 0: What will we do without Neil Wagner? A fine career comes to an end ahead of the series opener between the Black Caps and Pat Cummins' men at the beautiful Basin. For the Aussies, it's the XI as anticipated - the same side that lost to the Windies at the Gabba a month ago - and they're on the hunt for precious WTC points away from home. As for Tim Southee's team, they would do anything to get over the line against Australia in a Test Match for the first time in over a dozen years but they won't have Devon Conway's assistance in that mission, out with a thumb injury - a big blow. Bharat Sundaresan is with Adam Collins in their Airbnb/commune/hostel. And then... India v England, Ranchi Wash-up: How did it come to this? Will Bashir and Hartley ever get a game in the County Championship? And what on earth happened to Ollie Robinson? Cameron is joined once again by Cricinfo's Vithushan Ehantharajah to analyse to England's series defeat and have the latest from the camp. Support the show with a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword Find shirts, marathons and other links at linktr.ee/thefinalword Sort your super with CBUS on their 40th birthday All links at linktr.ee/thefinalword Find previous episodes at finalwordcricket.com Title track by Urthboy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We review the fourth Test between India and England in Ranchi – where India sealed a series with a magnificent five-wicket win.  Support 81allout at Ko-Fi Talking Points: The third-innings bowling that capped another brilliant third-day fightback India's forced accelerated transition - with a team full of youngsters Dhruv Jurel's expert batting with the tail Ashwin, Jadeja, Kuldeep - an undecipherable trio  Bazball sucking all the oxygen out of the England media Did England miss a trick by not bowling Anderson and Robinson enough? How England's statements often ran opposite to their actions Could England have done better in India if they shelved Bazball? Akash Deep's dream first spell Participants: Siddhartha Vaidyanathan (@sidvee) Mahesh Sethuraman (@cornerd) Ashoka (@ABVan) Kartikeya Date (@cricketingview) | Substack | ESPNcricinfo page --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Buy The Summer Game by Gideon Haigh (republished by 81allout) India (hardback) | India (paperback) | India (e-copy) Australia (paperback, e-copy) USA (hardback, paperback, e-copy) UK (hardback, paperback, e-copy) Canada (hardback, paperback, e-copy) --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Related: Ranchi win epitomises current era of India's Test team with promise for the next one - Karthik Krishnaswamy - ESPNcricinfo India Pull Off Sensational Heist Against Negative England In Ranchi - Kartikeya Date - Cricketingview Substack Fog of post-truth Baz-chat obscures England's progress under Ben Stokes - Barney Ronay - Guardian England lose series in India - Sky Cricket Vodcast - YouTube  

After England's defeat in Ranchi sealed a series win for India, Alan Gardner was joined by Andrew Miller and Vithushan Ehantharajah to assess what it all means for Bazball.

Neil Manthorp is joined by the former England fast bowler Steve Harmison to look back at England's 5-wicket defeat to India in the 4th Test in Ranchi, as England suffer their first series defeat under Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes, they'll hear exclusively from both the England Head Coach & Captain. They also look ahead to next week's 5th Test in Dharamshala, and focus on the future of Ollie Robinson. New Zealand Cricket Commentator Daniel McHardy joins us to look ahead to their Test series against Australia, which begins this week, and they also get the thoughts of Jarrod Kimber. Finally, Multan Sultans bowling coach Cath Dalton reflects on the opening couple of weeks of the 2024 Pakistan Super League. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you want to support The Grade Cricketer, please join us on Patreon at https://www.Patreon.com/gradecricketer  for all the audio of our World Cup review shows. We are covering every game involving Australia, England, India and Pakistan. You'll also get #AskTGC Fridays every week and access to the entire back catalogue of Patreon work that has been going for 3 years now.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

India v England, Ranchi Day 4: And just like that it's over. India win the prestigious IDFC First Bank trophy after the calm heads of Dhruv Jurel and Shubman Gill get them over the line on day four. A miraculous England win looked on the cards briefly after India lost five wickets for 36 runs but it wasn't to be for Stokes' men. Cameron Ponsonby is on the ground as ever and is joined by the Telegraph's Will Macpherson. Support the show with a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword Find shirts, marathons and other links at linktr.ee/thefinalword Find out what's fun at Westfield London and Westfield Stratford City – More extra, less ordinary! https://www.westfield.com/united-kingdom/london https://www.westfield.com/united-kingdom/stratfordcity Find previous episodes at finalwordcricket.com Title track by Urthboy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jonathan Agnew is alongside Michael Vaughan and Mark Ramprakash for reaction to England's defeat to India in Ranchi. They discuss how England's performance with the bat has let them down at times, plus how Shoaib Bashir and Tom Hartley have played out in India.Ben Stokes gives his thoughts to Stephan Shemilt after the day's play, and Stephan also speaks to former India wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik on how India will reflect on their win.

Simon Hughes and Simon Mann review a tense fourth day in Ranchi, and where the match was won and lost and India seal their 17th successive home series. And Paul Hawkins, the founder of Hawkeye, explains how the Decision Review System works and refutes ill-informed media comment that the system is flawed or susceptible to manipulation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Yas Rana, Ben Gardner and Mark Butcher review India's five-wicket victory in the fourth Test at Ranchi – a win that subjected England to their first series defeat under Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum. 0:00 Intro / 0:30 Initial reflections / 12:52 India's young players & Rohit's captaincy / 19:00 Shoaib Bashir / 25:38 England's batting / 29:38 Joe Root / 32:42 Umpiring & DRS / 43:26 Fifth Test / 47:42 Outro Enjoy 20% off Charles Tyrwhitt's full collection by using promo code SCORE at www.charlestyrwhitt.com/us/home You can follow Wisden Cricket on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok: https://www.facebook.com/WisdenCric https://www.instagram.com/wisden_cricket/ https://twitter.com/WisdenCricket https://www.tiktok.com/@wisdencricket The newest issue of Wisden Cricket Monthly is available to order at https://wisden.com/shop/wisden-cricket-monthly-issue-75 The digital version of the magazine is also available for just £2 a month at https://pocketmags.com/wisden-cricket-monthly-magazine#5c1cd17fa0b05 #Cricket #EnglandCricket #IndianCricket Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Adam Peacock, Brad Haddin and Dan Christian discuss Australia's 3-0 men's T20 series sweep over New Zealand, pick their rolling T20 World Cup squads, unpack India's series-clinching win over England in the fourth Test at Ranchi, recap the one-day domestic finals won by Western Australia (men) and Tasmania (women) and finish with our Risers and Fallers.  Follow on Apple, Spotify and the LiSTNR app Watch on YouTube Drop us a message on Instagram and TikTok! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ath and Nass look back on a thrilling fourth Test, which saw India clinch a tense five-wicket win over England in Ranchi, and seal victory in the series.

England battled hard in Ranchi but ultimately fell to a 5 wicket defeat against India. The hosts started the day needing 152 more runs to win, and looked set to complete an easy win before losing 5 wickets for 36 runs. Shoaib Bashir took 2 wickets in 2 balls, but a defiant performance from man-of-the-match Dhruv Jurel and Shubman Gill meant India went on to complete a 3-1 series win. Jon Norman brings you full highlights from another sensational day of test cricket - which was live and exclusive to talkSPORT 2. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Andrew McKenna is joined by former England internationals Steve Harmison and Alex Tudor to look back at India's five-wicket victory over England in Ranchi, as the hosts take an unassailable 3-1 lead. They discuss where it went wrong for England, reflect on a positive Test for England bowler Shoaib Bashir, and they hear from England captain Ben Stokes, and India captain Rohit Sharma. India batter Shubman Gill also reflects on his unbeaten half-century, which led his side to victory. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

India in front,  another Joel Wilson moment and what are the BCCI doing in those trucks? Why is the tech only wrong for England? Vaughny questions (for a friend) why there weren't more replays of Joe Roots dismissal. It's all verrryyyy suspicious.  If you want to support The Grade Cricketer, please join us on Patreon at https://www.Patreon.com/gradecricketer  for all the audio of our World Cup review shows. We are covering every game involving Australia, England, India and Pakistan. You'll also get #AskTGC Fridays every week and access to the entire back catalogue of Patreon work that has been going for 3 years now.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

India v England, Ranchi Day 3: And just like that it's over….almost. Four Tests of drama culminated in a day where India were excellent and England fell to the wayside. India started the day 130 runs behind; but they end it 150 runs from a series victory. And surprise surprise, there's more DRS drama. Cameron Ponsonby is joined for this one by ESPN Cricinfo's Vithushan Ehantharajah.  Support the show with a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword Find shirts, marathons and other links at linktr.ee/thefinalword Find out what's fun at Westfield London and Westfield Stratford City – More extra, less ordinary! https://www.westfield.com/united-kingdom/london https://www.westfield.com/united-kingdom/stratfordcity Find previous episodes at finalwordcricket.com Title track by Urthboy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Henry Moeran is alongside Phil Tufnell and Michael Vaughan for reaction to England's collapse with the bat on day three at Ranchi. They discuss England's chances of pulling off a miracle, whilst also looking at the issues and narrative around the use of DRS in the series.Plus, hear from Shoaib Bashir who fancies England's chances to win and keep the series alive. Also, Stephan Shemilt speaks to former India wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik about the performance of Dhruv Jurel both with the bat and behind the stumps.

Simon Hughes and Simon Mann assess a dispiriting third day for England as India add 130 for their last three wickets, and England then lose their last seven for 35. India with all second innings wickets in hand now have a golden chance to seal the series on the fourth morning in Ranchi. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Simon Hughes and Simon Mann admire the consistency and skill of England's two novice spinners Shoaib Bashir and Tom Hartley as England engineer themselves a dominant position on the second day in Ranchi, in spite of the precocious brilliance of Yashavi Jaiswal. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Yas Rana and Abhishek Mukherjee discuss an action packed third day in Ranchi that saw an impressive innings from Dhruv Jurel, a dramatic England collapse and some brilliant spin bowling from both Kuldeep Yadav and Ravichandran Ashwin. 0:00 Recap / 1:31 Dhruv Jurel / 3:41 Kuldeep Yadav / 9:14 England's batting & the pitch / 13:35 Ben Foakes / 16:03 Looking ahead to tomorrow You can follow Wisden Cricket on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok: https://www.facebook.com/WisdenCric https://www.instagram.com/wisden_cricket/ https://twitter.com/WisdenCricket https://www.tiktok.com/@wisdencricket The latest issue of Wisden Cricket Monthly is available now at https://wisden.com/shop/wisden-cricket-monthly-issue-75 The digital version of the magazine is also available for just £2 a month at https://pocketmags.com/wisden-cricket-monthly-magazine#5c1cd17fa0b05 #Cricket #IndianCricket #EnglandCricket Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Do you believe in life after love?  What's good and what's bad?  Joe Root and Michael Vaughn weigh in with some India pitch stuff (checking in with the greaaaaats.)  #AskTGC comes from an Indian fan with a girlfriend who sets fields in bed (allegedly).  If you want to support The Grade Cricketer, please join us on Patreon at https://www.Patreon.com/gradecricketer  for all the audio of our World Cup review shows. We are covering every game involving Australia, England, India and Pakistan. You'll also get #AskTGC Fridays every week and access to the entire back catalogue of Patreon work that has been going for 3 years now.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

India v England, Ranchi Day 2: Prepare for fast-forward. The pitch is starting to break apart with England currently in pole position. Yashasvi Jaiswal scores yet more runs, but an unbeaten Joe Root century and four wickets for Shoaib Bashir means that England finish the day well ahead. Oh...and it's England's turn to think umpire's call is a great invention. Cam Ponsonby, at the ground, once again has Daniel Norcross for company. Support the show with a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword Find shirts, marathons and other links at linktr.ee/thefinalword Find out what's fun at Westfield London and Westfield Stratford City – More extra, less ordinary! https://www.westfield.com/united-kingdom/london https://www.westfield.com/united-kingdom/stratfordcity Find previous episodes at finalwordcricket.com Title track by Urthboy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Daniel Norcross is joined by Michael Vaughan and Jack Leach to reflect on day two of the fourth test in Ranchi.They hear from Joe Root who tells Stephan Shemilt why ‘Bazball' is misunderstood and about how he's dealt with criticism during the series.Leach reacts to an incredible day for his Somerset teammate Shoaib Bashir and talks about the injury that curtailed his tour of India.

Yas Rana and Katya Witney discuss all the main talking points from the second day in Ranchi, including a brilliant spell from Shoaib Bashir, an important contribution from Ollie Robinson and yet another Yashasvi Jaiswal half-century. 0:00 Recap / 1:38 Shoaib Bashir / 8:42 Pitch / 13:38 Ollie Robinson / 16:37 Yashasvi Jaiswal / 20:07 India's batting / 23:58 Match situation You can follow Wisden Cricket on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok: https://www.facebook.com/WisdenCric https://www.instagram.com/wisden_cricket/ https://twitter.com/WisdenCricket https://www.tiktok.com/@wisdencricket The latest issue of Wisden Cricket Monthly is available now at https://wisden.com/shop/wisden-cricket-monthly-issue-75 The digital version of the magazine is also available for just £2 a month at https://pocketmags.com/wisden-cricket-monthly-magazine#5c1cd17fa0b05 #Cricket #IndianCricket #EnglandCricket Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

England play some sensible cricket. Verrryyyy interesting... A great day for sensible people.  A great day for a wife and 2.5 kids.  A great day for white picket fences.  A great day for tradition and truth.  THIS is England. If you want to support The Grade Cricketer, please join us on Patreon at https://www.Patreon.com/gradecricketer  for all the audio of our World Cup review shows. We are covering every game involving Australia, England, India and Pakistan. You'll also get #AskTGC Fridays every week and access to the entire back catalogue of Patreon work that has been going for 3 years now.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

India v England, Ranchi Day 1: Wait a minute. That looked suspiciously like an excellent day of conventional Test cricket. Akash Deep started his Test career with not one but several bangs, after a misfire. Mohammed Siraj bowled some pearls. Ravindra Jadeja got the pitch to play tricks. And through it all, Joe Root stood supreme with another classic innings, while Ben Foakes and latterly Ollie Robinson did their part. Is that stumps score a good one? Nobody has any idea. Support the show with a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword Find shirts, marathons and other links at linktr.ee/thefinalword Find out what's fun at Westfield London and Westfield Stratford City – More extra, less ordinary! https://www.westfield.com/united-kingdom/london https://www.westfield.com/united-kingdom/stratfordcity Find previous episodes at finalwordcricket.com Title track by Urthboy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jonathan Agnew is alongside Phil Tufnell and Michael Vaughan for reaction to Joe Root's 31st test century on day one at Ranchi. They discuss just how well Root played and how the pitch will affect where this test is won and lost. Also, England opener Zak Crawley speaks to Stephan Shemilt at stumps.Plus, they talk about Rehan Ahmed's series following the news that he has travelled home because of an urgent family matter.Stephan also speaks to Dinesh Karthik about the pitch at Ranchi and Akash Deep, who picked up 3 wickets on his debut.

Simon Hughes and Simon Mann review the first day of the fourth Test from Ranchi, where on a cracked pitch Joe Root reverts to type to play a classic innings, recording his 31st test Hundred and a record-breaking 91st score of over 50 in Test cricket. Watch the series live on TNT Sports Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After a manic first session of Day 1 of the 4th test in Ranchi between India and England, Joe Root put together a sublime century to leave England 302-7 at the end of play. Akash Deep had a debut to remember before England came roaring back to recover from 112-5. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Yas Rana and Phil Walker reflect on a thrilling first day in Ranchi, headlined by Joe Root's 31st Test century. Akash Deep made an immediate impression on debut, dismissing England's top three in a stunning new ball burst, before Bairstow and Stokes both fell to spin to leave England 112-5 at lunch. The afternoon belonged to Root though, who knuckled down and cleverly crafted one of the best centuries of his glittering Test career in tricky conditions. Ben Foakes played brilliantly at the other end for his 47, while Tom Hartley and Ollie Robinson also offered important resistance. England finished the day on 302-7, with Root unbeaten on 106*. 0:00 Recap / 1:20 Joe Root / 12:43 Pitch / 20:56 Ben Foakes / 27:07 Akash Deep / 31:24 Mohammed Siraj / 36:02 Rohit's captaincy / 38:19 Looking ahead to tomorrow You can follow Wisden Cricket on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok: https://www.facebook.com/WisdenCric https://www.instagram.com/wisden_cricket/ https://twitter.com/WisdenCricket https://www.tiktok.com/@wisdencricket The latest issue of Wisden Cricket Monthly is available now at https://wisden.com/shop/wisden-cricket-monthly-issue-75 The digital version of the magazine is also available for just £2 a month at https://pocketmags.com/wisden-cricket-monthly-magazine#5c1cd17fa0b05 #Cricket #IndianCricket #EnglandCricket Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

India v England, Ranchi Day 0: The Rancho Relaxo! To one of Adam's favourite grounds for the Fourth Test with England in a must-win position after their hiding over the weekend. As for the hosts, Bumrah is resting - time for their spinners to come into their own on a surface that looks like it might turn from the get-go. But those assumptions have been mistaken at this ground in the past. Cam Ponsonby is in place, ready to roll. Support the show with a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword Find shirts, marathons and other links at linktr.ee/thefinalword Find out what's fun at Westfield London and Westfield Stratford City – More extra, less ordinary! https://www.westfield.com/united-kingdom/london https://www.westfield.com/united-kingdom/stratfordcity Find previous episodes at finalwordcricket.com Title track by Urthboy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Stephan Shemilt is in Ranchi on the eve of the fourth Test between England and India. Will Stokes bowl? How big an absence is Bumrah? Stephan gets the thoughts of ESPNcricinfo writer Vithushan Ehantharajah and hears from the England captain. Dinesh Karthik has his say on India and there's an exclusive chat with the star of the series so far – Yashasvi Jaiswal!Plus, TMS statistician Phil Long continues his epic journey across the country.

Alison Mitchell, Jim Maxwell and Charu Sharma all preview the second edition of The Women's Premier League. We discuss which players to look out for and whether Mumbai Indians can defend their title. We also assess India's chances of sealing a Test series victory over England without their star pace bowler Jasprit Bumrah who has been rested for the fourth Test in Ranchi and we discuss how England will respond after receiving criticism following their heavy defeat in the third Test in Rajkot.With the second edition of the Women's Premier League starting this week, it's not only the players' fortunes that could be transformed, in fact, it provides an opportunity for the fans to come together and watch the women's game. They are known as the Bucket Hat Cult, named after the group's ‘uniform' - a bucket hat in any colour or design. They are a fans group dedicated to women's sports that are trying to make the stadium experience inclusive, enjoyable and accessible to all. We speak to the co-founder of the group, Parth Suri.Photo: The Bucket Hat Cult at the Wankhede Stadium. (Credit: Parth Suri/Bucket hat cult fan group)

Welcome back to the Bishop and Bear – the internet's favourite virtual cricket pub (probably).   Well, it was a right old battering for England in Rajkot. The young Jazz Whale played all the right notes in exactly the right order and there were way too many bum notes from England against Bumrah and co. The Yorkshire middle order of Root and Bairstow looks under pressure and out of sorts. Can they battle their way back into some form in Ranchi? Ben Stokes thinks the pitch there looks “interesting very interesting” to appropriate the words of the great Barry Davies.   Our guest this week is the ever-erudite Forthy, who joins your ursine landlord and episcopal barman to ask and attempt to answer some of the questions vexing England's management. If indeed they ever do get vexed, which at least to external eyes they seem not too. We also celebrate the power of Indian run scoring and dig a bit behind Jay Shah's comments that Indian players shouldn't prioritise the IPL over domestic cricket.   Here is a rough idea of the topics we chat and drink our way through:   Bazball out Bazzed in Rajkot What do we expect in Ranchi? Strong Yorkshire Strong England – what's in the heads of Root and Bairstow? “BCCI says don't prioritise IPL over domestic cricket” – sorry what??!! Umpires Call – is it the blind the leading the blind? (Sorry Joel!) Settle in, enjoy your drink and do please get in touch and let us know what you think. Cheers!   Your Ursine Landlord and Episcopal Barman Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

With news emerging that Ben Stokes may be able to bowl in the fourth India-England Test at Ranchi and that Jasprit Bumrah is likely to be rested, how much of a chance do England have of forcing a decider? Phil Walker, Ben Gardner and Yas Rana preview the Ranchi Test and look at the other big stories from the world game over the last week. Part of Dan Gallan's interview with Cricket West Indies chief executive Johnny Grave is played in this episode – to read the full interview, pick up issue 75 of Wisden Cricket Monthly. 0:00 Intro / 0:43 INDvENG fourth Test preview / 25:01 DRS / 32:44 Other cricket / 40:24 West Indies / 44:31 Johnny Grave interview - West Indies CEO / 59:31 Wisden Cricket Monthly / 1:06:39 Outro Issue 75 of Wisden Cricket Monthly is out now! A wall chart for the 2024 English summer is included with the magazine. Get the magazine: https://wisden.com/shop/wisden-cricket-monthly-issue-75-copy If you just want the wall chart, head here: https://www.thenightwatchman.net/buy/wisden-cricket-monthly-2024-wallchart The digital version of the magazine is also available for just £2 a month at https://pocketmags.com/wisden-cricket-monthly-magazine#5c1cd17fa0b05 You can follow Wisden Cricket on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok: https://www.facebook.com/WisdenCric https://www.instagram.com/wisden_cricket/ https://twitter.com/WisdenCricket https://www.tiktok.com/@wisdencricket #Cricket #EnglandCricket #IndianCricket Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Mark Chapman is joined by England batter Tammy Beaumont, former opener Michael Carberry and Sussex Head Coach Paul Farbrace to discuss where it went wrong for England in the third Test against India. You'll hear Test head coach Brendan McCullum's thoughts on England's defeat and their style of play while we analyse the success and longevity of ‘Bazball'.We also look ahead to how England can approach their next Test in Ranchi.

India v England, Rajkot Wash-up: Will Stokes bowl? Is DRS corrupt? Will England drop Bairstow? Did Duckett create Jaiswal? Cameron is joined by Crincfo's Vithushan Ehantharajah to analyse to England's record Rajkot defeat and have the latest from the camp as they look towards Ranchi. Support the show with a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword Find shirts, marathons and other links at linktr.ee/thefinalword Check out Westfield London and Westfield Stratford City – More extra, less ordinary! https://www.westfield.com/united-kingdom/london https://www.westfield.com/united-kingdom/stratfordcity Find previous episodes at finalwordcricket.com Title track by Urthboy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Daniel Norcross is alongside Phil Tufnell, Ebony Rainford-Brent, and our reporter out in India Stephan Shemilt to discuss the current narrative around the England team and the attitudes towards 'Bazball'.Hear the thoughts of England head coach Bredon McCullum following the heavy defeat to India in Rajkot.Dan, Phil, Ebony and Stephan analyse the current level of England's batting standards, whether 'Bazball' has gone as far as it can, and how the likes of Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow can improve their form for the rest of the series in India.Plus, they look at what bowling changes could be made before the fourth test in Ranchi.

Last time we spoke about the landing at Saidor and the drive against Sio. The Australians were still advancing across Shaggy Ridge when General MacArthur unleashed an amphibious assault against Saidor to cut off the Japanese escape and isolate Sio. Numerous features were seized up the large ridge and the Americans successfully amphibiously assaulted Saidor and seized their airfield. General Adachi placed the 51st and 20th divisions under the command of General Nakano, who was tasked with advancing to Gali to try and secure a new supply point. Meanwhile efforts were made to try and contain the new threat in Saidor while simultaneously holding back the Australians in the south. Over on new britain the airdrome was seized as Colonel Katayama launched a failed counter attack against the Marines. The Marines tossed back the attack and began their own advance further inland. This episode is Ledo Road Offensive Welcome to the Pacific War Podcast Week by Week, I am your dutiful host Craig Watson. But, before we start I want to also remind you this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Perhaps you want to learn more about world war two? Kings and Generals have an assortment of episodes on world war two and much more  so go give them a look over on Youtube. So please subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry for some more history related content, over on my channel, the Pacific War Channel you can find a few videos all the way from the Opium Wars of the 1800's until the end of the Pacific War in 1945.  The Americans had landed at Cape Gloucester, Saidor and were carrying out massive attacks against Rabaul. As we had seen previously, on November 5th, aided by bad weather, a surprise air raid was made by the USS Saratoga and Princeton, led by Rear-Admiral Frederick Sherman that inflicted heavy damage to 4 cruisers within the harbor; Maya's engine room was smashed by a bomb killing over 70 men; a 500 lb bomb hit Mogami; Takao took 2 500 lb bomb hits while 3 500 lb bombs narrowly missed Atago killing 23 seamen and caused severe damage to the ship's plating. 2 other cruisers and 3 destroyers also suffered light damage. Captain George Chandler flying a P-38 fighter pilot described how “There were B-24 bombers up high and B-25 bombers attacking right down on the deck dropping ‘frag' bombs on the airplanes along the runways … we did our best work at high altitude, but we also took part in combat a thousand feet off the ground.” The devastation caused Admiral Miniechi Koga to withdraw his forces to Truk, thus ending the IJN threat to Bougainville. A Japanese naval officer would later admit that they had given up on Bougainville mainly because of “the serious damage received by several Second Fleet cruisers at Rabaul by carrier attack …” The successful  raid against Rabaul left Halsey ecstatic. “It is real music to me and opens the stops for a funeral dirge for Tojo's Rabaul.” On November 8th, reinforcements led by Rear-admiral Alfred Montgomery task force 38, with the new fleet carriers USS Bunker Hill, Essex and Independence. With the added carrier strength on November 11th, a follow up air raid was made seeing the IJN cruiser Agano torpedoed and badly damaged, while 35 Japanese aircraft out of 120 launched in a counter attack against the carrier force were shot down. Montgomery would not lose a single ship. Admiral Koga's decision to send carrier pilots to bolster Rabaul had quite literally blown up in his face. Koga's air fleet had lost 43 of its 82 Zeros, 38 of its 34 Vals, 34 of its 40 Kates and 6 Judy spotter planes. Over 86 of his 192 experienced pilots and crew had perished, and he had only inflicted minimal damage to Nimitz fleet, it was a disaster. Yet the fantastical reports from Japanese pilots kept pouring in, claiming the air battles over Bougainville were infact won by the IJN air forces. Newspapers in Japan reported victories that added up to the destruction of 5 American battleships, 10 carriers, 19 cruisers and 7 destroyers. The reality was the destruction of 2 cruisers, the USS Birmingham and Denver. By mid november Vice Admiral Kusaka was finding it difficult to sustain attacks against allied convoys feeding supplies to Empress Augusta Bay. On November 12th, Rabaul only had 113 Zero's of which only 59 were operational. Crews were suffering from malaria and other diseases, no one was granted rest as they were limited in personnel and under constant attack. The quality of ground crews and pilots was deteriorating every week.  From November 12 through December 16, the daytime skies over the Gazelle Peninsula remained relatively quiet, as the US carrier forces had departed to support operations in the Central Pacific. AirSols received a new commander on the November 20th, Major General Ralph Mitchell who continued to support operations in Bougainville and General Kenney's Fifth Air Force was supporting preparations for the landings in western New Britain. The lull gave Admiral Kusaka a brief opportunity to recuperate as replacements began to arrive from the Marshalls and Truk. The Imperial Japanese Navy would take six months to replenish its carrier pilots with less well-trained and inexperienced replacements. In the meantime the carrier fleet itself, Japan's most expensive and precious strategic asset, was forced to remain idle in Truk as Nimitz began his island hop through the Central Pacific Meanwhile the Torokina airfield had become crude but operational. The Seabees had created a single 4750 foot by 200 foot strip. It lacked taxiways, hardstands and buildings, but by December 10th it could launch aircraft. Soon the Seabees would carve 2 additional landing trips in the jungle 3 miles further inland. The first would be a mile long, the second 8000 feet or so for bombers. Unlike the Japanese airfields on the Gazelle Peninsula which would take more than a year to complete, both of these American airfields took a month. You often hear, especially from marine veterans of the pacific, praise for the Seabees, such a colossal advantage in logistics paved the way to victory. A massive fighter sweep was launched on December 17 consisting of 32 Corsairs, 24 F6Fs, and 24 RNZAF Kittyhawks from airfields at New Georgia and Vella Lavella who rendezvoused at Torokina, topped off their fuel tanks, and hit  Rabaul. The strike was led by Major Greg “Pappy” Boyington, the commanding officer of Marine Fighter Squadron 214, better known by its nickname, the "Black Sheep Squadron". The three types of aircraft had different flying characteristics and different cruising speeds. The Kittyhawks, slowest of the bunch, took off first. The plan was for them to come in at 15,000ft, and lure out the Japanese. Next came the Hellcats, flying above the Kittyhawks. And the last were the Corsairs, who flew top cover. It was a long flight over open water, calculated to make the pilot of a single-engine aircraft nervous. If the engine failed it was a long swim home. They were intercepted by 35 Zeros, with the Kittyhawks getting the first jump on them. After the Kittyhawks made their first pass, shooting down a Japanese fighter, the advantage switched over to the more agile  Zeros. The Kittyhawk squadron leader's plane was fatally damaged and a second Kittyhawk went down after colliding with a Zero. Remarkably, both pilots survived. Meanwhile the Hellcats and Corsairs, at high altitudes, were coming up empty. The Corsairs circled Lakunai field finding no targets. Pilot Boyington exchanged insults with an English-speaking Japanese officer over the radio, but despite his challenges found no targets in the air. When all aircraft returned to base, the score was even. Two Kittyhawks and two Zeros were lost; one each due to the collision and one shot down by both sides. It was a rather disappointing fighter sweep, but would become just one of many against Rabual over the course of the next 3 weeks. The next raid came two days later seeing 48 B-24s launched, but 32 were forced turned back. The remaining 16 bombers escorted by 51 were intercepted by 94 Japanese fighters, yet they also suffered from the bad weather. Less than half made contact with the enemy. In the resulting fight, 5 Zeros were shot down and 10 allied aircraft were lost, but only two were shot down. The other eight were due to a mid-air collision and landing mishaps, all near home. The weather persisted to be so bad, it was only on the 23rd another sortie could be launched. B-24s escorted by Corsairs and Hellcats bombed Lakunai. Radar gave the Japanese some early warning and nearly 100 Zeros were scrambled. 60 made contact with the bombers after they hit Lakunai. No bombers were lost, but 2 Corsairs were shot down in the ensuing dogfights. Yet the Americans had a twist, they followed up the raid with a fighter sweep of 48 Corsairs. They arrived 15 minutes after the bombers left, surprising the airborne Japanese fighters, most of whom lacked radios. 6 Zeros were shot down, several others damaged and only 2 Corsairs lost.  2 days later, another fighter sweep preceded by bombers was launched claiming 18 aircraft kills, but it was probably closer to 5. In comparison the Japanese pilots would claim 55 kills, a number greater than the american force sent. On the 27 another sweep was launched against Cape Gloucester downing 7 Japanese aircraft for one American. 28 Corsairs returned the next day but this time the Japanese held the advantage, sandwiching the Marines between 2 large groups of Zeros. 3 Corsairs were shot down, but so were 3 Zeros, with 2 others badly damaged. On 30th 36 Liberators escorted by 20 Hellcats and 20 Corsairs, bombed Rabaul. 1 B-24 was lost on the raid, hit by antiaircraft fire. No air combat occurred. On New Years day 15 B-24s and 68 escorting fighters met heavy fighter opposition. 40 Zeros had been sent to Rabaul from Truk, manned by veteran pilots. 1 B-24 was shot down, and two others badly damaged. On January 2 48 US fighters raided and on the 3rd another 44. The two sweeps took out a handful of fighters. The last sweep was on the 5th seeing another 2 zeros downed. Meanwhile back on December 24th, Admiral Sherman's task force 37 raided Kavieng. The operation had two purposes, 1) was to distract attention from the landings at Cape Gloucester and 2) to interdict sea traffic between Truk and Rabaul. The 5000-ton naval transport Tenyru Maru was sunk and several other ships were damaged. After this task force 37 made several raids against Kavieng through January 4th. They managed to shoot down 10 Japanese fighters, damaged IJN cruiser Noshiro and destroyers Fumizuki and Satsuki. On Janaury 6th, the bomber strip at Piva became operational, thus Rabaul was now within range of allied light and medium bombers, basically it was pounding time.   On January 7th, 16 Avengers and 24 Dauntless raided Tobera airfield. From medium altitudes the Avengers dropped 2000lb pounds smashing the paved runways. The Japanese managed to shoot down 3 fighters and one dauntless, but Tobera was temporarily not operational. It was the first time any Rabaul airbase was neutralized from bomb damage. This would be followed up on the 11th by a low level attack against Vunakanau by B-25's, damaging 8 parked aircraft. Then on the 14th, Simpson Harbor was attacked by 16 Avengers , 36 Dauntless and fighter escorts. The Japanese tossed 84 fighters but the allies held such a tight formation it was difficult to get at the bombers. 2 bombers were lost before reaching Lakunai; 1 to a mid-air collision and 1 to antiaircraft fire. When the Allied aircraft finally arrived, clouds shielded Lakunai so the bombers switched to targeting the ships in Simpson Harbor. The Avengers carried 2,000lb bombs, limiting their effectiveness. Regardless, they landed hits on the 15,400-ton-displacement oiler Naruto, and thus ended its goal of becoming the Hokage. . . sorry folks could not resist that one. The destroyer Matsukaze was also damaged alongside 5 other vessels.    AirSols came back to hit simpson harbor and blanche bay 3 days later sinking  the Komaki Maru, Kosei Maru, Yamayuri Maru, Hakkai Maru and Iwate Maru. To take down the combined 30,000 tons of shipping AirSols lost 8 P-38s, 1 Hellcat, 1 F4U, 1 Avenger, and 1 Dauntless. The rest of January saw so many raids, sometimes 2-3 on the same day, thus I can't spend the entire podcast listing their actions, but the losses were brutal. For the Americans they would lose 23 aircraft between January 23rd-30th, for the Japanese it was around 37. By the end of the month, Rabaul was being bled dry of planes, thus the rest was withdrawn to Truk with around 40 pilots. To make up for the withdrawal, Admiral Koga brought over the air groups of carriers Junyo, Hiyo and Ryuho on the 25th adding 62 zeros, 18 vals and 18 kates to Admiral Kusakas dwindling forces. Does that not sound like performing the exact same action that saw such devastating losses in late december to early january? Yes, yes it does.    Moving over to New Britain, General Shepherd had just smashed the Japanese positions along Suicide Creek. While seizing Suicide Creek some Americans captured a Japanese dispatch saying “It is essential that we conceal the intention that we are maintaining positions on Aogiri Ridge. Concerning the occupation of this position, it is necessary that Aogiri Yama is maintained.” While making arrangements for the Japanese assault against Target Hill one, Lieutenant Abe had occasion sent field dispatches to Warrant Officer Kiyoshi Yamaguchi, one of his platoon leaders. The dispatch mentioned command post locations, hour of attack, and other orders. Yamaguchi, with that seemingly incredible indifference to basic security which the Japanese so often demonstrated, simply stuck the dispatch in his pocket and carried it with him to the assault. Marines found it on his body the following morning, thereby gaining their first inkling of the existence of a terrain feature which appeared as such on none of their maps but upon which the Japanese appeared to place great importance, for reasons not yet clear. Aoigiri Ridge was not in the American maps and it was currently held by the 2nd battalion, 53rd regiment and 2nd battalion, 141st regiment. Behind the ridge was a wide trail leading to Magairapua, connecting Matsuda's HQ with Borgen Bay. The trail was heavily used and concealed extremely well from American aircraft. Back over at the American lines, by January 5th, the 3rd battalion, 7th marines had pulled back into the reserve, allowing the weapons company, 7th marines to occupy the extreme left along the shore to prepare for Shepherds offensive against Hill 150. The new formation launched their attack at 11am on the 6th. Tanks surged forward to smash a roadblock held by the 2nd battalion, 141st regiment on the left trail. Artillery was deployed on a nearby hill hitting the Japanese lines as A company tried to break through but was quickly pinned down by the roadblock. The tanks eventually burst through the roadblock sending the Japanese packing.   The americans advanced through the increasingly swampy terrain, facing weaker resistance. B company crossed a small stream and stormed Hill 150 during the afternoon, securing it. Further right, C company and the 3rd battalion, 5th marines were surprised to be held up by extremely heavy fire from the until then unknown feature, Aogiri ridge. The men had no other choice than to pull back to a safe distance to dig in as they reported back the presence of the heavily fortified position. The Japanese would unleash carnage upon the men for 2 days whenever they tried to press forward. On the 7th the commanding officer of the 3rd battalion, 5th Marines, was wounded and replaced by Lt Colonel Lewis Walt. The next day, Walk's men were cautiously inching forward under heavy enemy fire through dense jungle, when they first encountered the ground rising in steepness. At this point Walt realized the feature had to be Aogiri Ridge.    On the 9th, the assault battalions resumed their attacks, this time with heavy artillery support against Aogiri ridge. Walt was reinforced with Companies K and L from the 7th marines, but the advance was extremely slow and painful. Two Japanese bunkers were knocked out with white phosphorus grenades, but that ended the limited gains. Walt personally began pushing a 37mm gun excruciating foot by foot up Aogiri ridge, firing a volley of canisters every few feet. Somehow he managed to get the gun up the steep slope into a decent position to sweep the ridge, allowing the gain of a foothold on the crest of Aogiri. The loss of the ridge was a huge threat to Matsuda and Katayama's positions, so the latter decided to throw his reserves in a desperate but ferocious counterattack.   At 1:15am on the 10th, Katayama sent his recently arrived 3rd battalion to attack the reverse slope. However the Marines held firm and would end up repelling 5 consecutive banzai charges with a fury and persistence unparalleled in the campaign. On the 4th try a Japanese major and two company officers succeeded in knifing through the Marine cordon almost to Colonel Walt's fox hole, 50 yards behind the front line. At that instant one of two short rounds in a 60-round artillery barrage burst in a tall tree almost directly overhead, and the major died there, sword in one hand and a pistol in the other. The 5th charge was blunted by artillery and the Japanese finally cut their losses and pulled back. The Japanese had suffered immense casualties, seeing all 3 of their battalions depleted, forcing Katayama to pull off Aogiri ridge that very night. The morning of the 10th saw Walk's men securing the feature and then discovering the vital Magairapua trail. The marines went to work mopping up the area until January 12th, whereupon Shepherd planned to seize Hill 660. The feature was guarded by the 6th company, 141st regiment supported by a number of guns of the 30th machine cannon company. The fresh 3rd battalion, 7th marines, led by lt colonel Henry Buse Jr were to perform the main assault, with the 1st battalion extending the perimeter behind them. To help the effort, the weapons company,7th marines of Captain Buckley would begin constructing a roadblock between the eastern base of Hill 660 to the shore of Borgen Bay, hoping to cut off the defenders escape route.   At 08:00am on the 13th, after artillery, mortars and the 5th Air Force performed a bombardment of the area, the last Marine offensive commenced. A intricate system of small arms and automatic weapon positions going up the summit unleashed fire upon the marines, quickly pinning down I company. L Company attempted swinging to the right, but were also pinned down. Engineers worked a light tank forward far enough to place fire across a gorge demolishing the more troublesome enemy weapons. By late afternoon, together with artillery supporting fire, the pinned-down companies were rescued and withdrawn for the night. Meanwhile the Weapons company worked with their bulldozer, by 1030 they had skirted the eastern base of the hill and set up an all-around perimeter. There they dug in clearing fields of fire for about 60 yards to both north and south, placing their half-tracks and tanks in supporting positions. The only opposition they encountered during the advance was by two Japanese machine guns and emplaced near the summit of the hill. With all said and done they successfully cut off the Japanese line of retreat.  On the morning of the 14th, the 3rd battalion resumed their assault, with their leading companies advancing to the right working their way up. One unit nearly got atop the crest before coming under fire from heavy machine guns. They got to a position where they could bring 60mm mortars to bear, and went to work neutralizing the machine gun positions before a final surge carried them across the summit. The Japanese fled down the crest heading east, coming straight into the line of fire of the Weapons company below. The result was a terrible rout, seeing many escape to the safety of the swamps to the hills southeast. By the end of the 14th, the marines had seized Hill 660 and were performing mop up operations through the following day. At 5:30am on the 16th, Katayama ordered the 6th and 11th companies, 141st regiment to counter attack Hill 660. Soon the marines were face to face with a large banzai charge, seeing the fighting getting up close and personal. But small arms, rifles, 60mm mortars and 81mm artillery broke the Japanese. Over 110 Japanese bodies would be found after the fight. This ended Shepherds offensive, as the remnants of Colonel Sumiya's forces began to arrive to the Borgen Bay area. Over the next few days, the exhausted 7th marines were relieved by the 5th marines and 2nd battalion, 1st marines who had recently been recalled after completing their mission at Green Beach.  After suffering the defeated in Borgen Bay, General Sakai decided to order the 1st battalion, 54th regiment to reinforce Talasea and for Matsuda to launch a last ditch effort, a suicidal one at that, to obliterate the enemy. But the men were in no condition for such an offensive, thus Katayama elected to postpone it for now. Since every man was needed for the defense of Borgen Bay, Colonel Sato took the remainder of his commander and departed Rooke Island to join the main body. Now that Hill 660 was secured, the Americans began a new method of patrolling; this time their patrols would specifically seek out and destroy what was presumed to be exhausted Japanese units, before the division would attack the defensive line at Borgen Bay-Itni river. Yet that is it for new Britian, as we are going to be traveling over to the CBI theater. Between November 22 to December the 1st, two conference were held between the Allied leaders. The first was the Cairo or “sextant” conference on November 22-26th, between President FDR, Sir Winston Churchill and Chiang Kai-shek. The second was held in Tehran on November 28-December 1st between FDR, Churchill and Joseph Stalin. You might be asking, why did they all not meet up together. The crux of it was the Soviet-Japanese neutrality Pact and to a lesser extent, though probably not in Chiang Kai-Shek's mind, Stalin was aiding the CCP. Because the Soviets had not declared war on the Japanese, it would not look to good if they met with the leader of China, likewise Chiang Kai-shek was not too forthcoming to meet with Stalin. The easy fix was to just have two different conferences. Overall the conferences did not really touch too much upon the Pacific war. But Stalin did promise to declare war on Japan within ninety days after the end of the European War. In return he demanded military and logistical concessions in Manchuria, maintenance of Outer Mongolia under Soviet control as well as sovereignty over the Kuril Islands that stretched from north of Japan to Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula. When Chiang Kai-shek heard about this he had suspicious and noted “The influence of this conference on China will be great. I hope Roosevelt isn't plotting with Churchill and Stalin against me.” Soon his suspicion would turn to anger when he discovered there were secret protocols relating to Manchuria.  Stalin had made some assurances to Mao Zedong that once the Soviets were in the war against Japan, they would have forces to bear down into China to help tip the scale for the CCP against the NRA. Yet after the war, it would seem promises made by Joseph Stalin were not always kept.  Another important aspect of the conferences was the British decision to cancel Operation Buccaneer, the invasion of the Andaman Islands, because Admiral Mountbatten's landing crafts were required for landings in southern france. The Joint chiefs of staff were livid at this, because it came at the same time the Japanese were reinforcing Burma. FDR overruled them and agreed to the British decision and this in turn greatly pissed off Chiang Kai-Shek. Yet at the same time, the Cairo declaration had lifted up the morale for the Chinese army and people to continue their war against the Japanese. The declarations made by the Tehran conference implied publicly that the CBI theater was all but abandoned to the mercy of Japan's air and land forces. Thus it would be no coincidence the Japanese thought it ripe to launch an all-out offensive against China.  In the meantime, the rather aggressive Admiral Mountbatten was trying to salvage what he could of the situation. To try and please Chiang Kai-Shek, he proposed Operation Pigstick. The operation was something Mountbatten had wargamed a bit, it was to be a landing on the southern Mayu peninsula aimed at hitting Akyab. He began assigning landing craft for the amphibious operation, only to be immediately slapped down by Alanbrooke and told to return 3 fast tank landing crafts that were direly needed for operations against Italy. Mountbatten hoped to retain 2 slower tank landing craft, but Cunningham requested them. Pigstick was to be 2 divisions plus 2 brigades who would be used in a southward advance down the peninsula and 1 division in an amphibious assault aimed at surrounding and destroying not less than 20,000 Japanese. An additional landing similar to PIGSTICK, could perhaps be launched in the Ramree-Cheduba area, could take staging areas that would put 15 Corps within reach of Rangoon. Speaking of Ramree, if any of you have heard this kind of myth about over 1000 Japanese being eaten by crocodiles on that island, over on my personal channel the pacific war channel I did a full investigation into the so called “ramree island massacre” story. A little sad about its performance not going to lie. Dramatically improved my lackluster animation skills for it, came out really well and I did a silly impersonation at the beginning, anyways check it out its a fun one! Alongside Pigstick, Mountbatten changed the Tarzan operation into Operation Gripfast, calling for an offensive on north and central Burma with an airborne landing at Indaw to sever the Japanese line of communications to Myitkyina. But now Chiang Kai-Shek was very wary of anything British, so he rejected the plans on December 19th. Alongside pissing off Chiang Kai-Shek, his estranged wife, Joseph Stilwell was also again angry with the British, particularly Mountbatten. At one point Mountbatten proposed moving certain American units into the Hukawng valley to help the offensive there and Stillwell burst out ‘I should like it placed on record that I am responsible for the training of all American forces in this theatre and I am the person to decide when they are adequately trained and can move forward.' Mountbatten replied: ‘I accept that in principle, but would remind you that these troops are being trained under British officers. I am responsible for operations and will decide when units move into the fighting lines. In other words, general, I should like to place on record that I am Supreme Commander out here and what I say goes.' Stilwell took it good-humouredly and laughed. ‘We none of us dispute that,'”. That day Stilwell wrote a letter to his wife, referring scathingly to Mountbatten as ‘the glamour boy. He doesn't wear well and I begin to wonder if he knows his stuff. Enormous staff, endless walla-walla but damn little fighting . . . And of course the Peanut is unchanged. The jungle is a refuge from them both.' The men would all share some screaming matches against another, until Stilwell would shock everyone by exclaiming “I am prepared to come under General Slim's operational control until I get to Kamaing.” It was a truly bizarre idea, Mountbatten asked how such a thing would work, and both Slim and Stilwell asked to discuss the matter amongst themselves. The two men would agree on tactical essentials such as getting more Chinese divisions for the Ledo force and to use the Chindits to assist in hitting Myitkyina. Slim and Stilwell shook hands and Stilwell said to him ‘I would fight under a corporal as long as he would let me fight.' Slim would later reflecte ‘In practice this illogical command set-up worked surprisingly well. My method with Stilwell was based on what I had learnt of him in the Retreat – to send him the minimum of written instructions, but, whenever I wanted anything, to fly over and discuss it with him, alone. Stilwell, talking things over quietly with no one else present, was a much easier and more likeable person than Vinegar Joe with an audience. Alone, I never found him unreasonable or obstructive. I think I told him to do something he did not approve of on only two or three occasions, and on each he conformed, I will not say willingly, but with good grace.' In the end Operation Pigstick never became a reality, because the landing crafts were needed for the Italian campaign and thus the hope of meeting Chiang Kai-sheks continued demand for an amphibious operation was gone. It was almost like the British never intended to go through with such a thing in the first place, woops that is just my opinion. Meanwhile the British-Indian command elected to start a new operation in Arakan. The brutal hard-won lessons of 1st Arakan battle had been absorbed in India Command, with senior British officers determined to avoid similar mistakes. The new operation was the subject of meticulous reconnaissance, planning, and rehearsals. A series of lectures, war games, models of the grounds and syndicate discussions were held for commanders, staff and regimental officers whom carefully considered countering Japanese offensive tactics and assaulting prepared defensive positions like those witnessed at Donbaik. A carefully planned programme of continuous, progressive and intensive training was put in hand for all corps and divisional fighting, support and administrative troops to practice necessary skills, including using brigade boxes, aerial resupply and the infiltration and envelop- ment of enemy positions. This comprehensive training programme culminated in intensive rehearsals and combined arms training with artillery, tanks and close support aircraft carried out near Lohardaga, over ground resembling Arakan, simulating attacks on mock Japanese defensive positions on jungle-clad hills. General Auchinleck assigned the 15th corps, reconstituted at Ranchi with the 3 best trained divisions available: Major-General Harold Briggs' 5th Indian Division; Major-General Frank Messervy's 7th Indian Division and Major-General Christopher Woolner's 81st West African Division.The 26th Indian Division formed the corps reserve. Command of the 15th corps would be given to Lt General Philip Christison. The plan called for the 5th and 7th Indian divisions to advance along the summit of the Mayu range towards Maungdaw and Buthidaung while the 5th and 6th west african brigades would provide flanking protection. On November 1st, the 2 Indian divisions began their advance and by mid november would make contact with a Japanese outpost.As the 7th Indian division advanced astride the Kalapanzin River they ran into stiff resistance. Efforts to dislodge Japanese defenders near Awlanbyin and Letwedet, showcased the formidable difficulties that attacking Japanese defensive bunker positions presented. Most were built on razor-back ridges, through which were burrowed fire positions, affording a limited approach, while the reverse slopes protected troops from view and bombardment. With the precipitous Goppe Pass initially only suitable for porters, pack transport and pack artillery, 7th Indian Division quickly devised other methods to overcome enemy defenses, since normal stereotyped, set-piece attacks stood little chance of success without supporting field artillery. Aircraft proved an ineffective substitute, moreover, with dive-bombing having only a transitory effect since the broken terrain and dense jungle absorbed blast leaving defenses and morale largely intact unless a lucky direct hit was made. The Indian forces began to infiltrate and bypass the well-entrenched Japanese defenses, giving the impression they would soon unleash a frontal attack upon them at any moment. General Messervy's would say of the action  “'We will undoubtedly have a Neapolitan sandwich of British - Japs - British, but it will be one made by ourselves, and with the initiative in our hands it will soon be transformed to British - British - Jap.” They were gaining ground and with it valuable combat experience. On the night of November 30th, the 15th Indian Corps commenced large-scale operations to drive in the Japanese outpost line astride the Mayu Range. A series of brisk skirmishes were fought by 33rd Indian Infantry Brigade on the jungle-cloaked ridges south of Awlanbyin quickly evicting small determined parties of Japanese infantry from carefully prepared platoon and company defensive localities. This was by no means an easy task since most heavily camouflaged positions were built atop steep hillsides overlooking paddy fields that provided an open field of five and difficult going for advancing troops. Earlier directions about infiltration paid off in practice. An attack on Awlanbyin west redoubt from the rear through thick jungle achieved complete surprise. Although a neighboring Japanese position initially held out, its garrison withdrew on 2nd December after being cut off. The 33rd Brigade columns  crossed the Ngakyedauk Chaung and occupied the area from Ngakyedauk village to the ridge about 1.5 miles north-west of Sinohbyin village. By December3rd, they extended the area of operation to the hills overlooking Maungyithaung and Sinohbyin. The 89th Brigade, meanwhile, pushed forward down Tatmin Chaung and established forward positions on the hills south of the chaung, one mile west of Tatmingyaungywa. By mid-month, 7th Indian Division had reached the main enemy positions covering the Tunnels and Buthidaung, and the opening of the Ngakyedauk Pass to wheeled traffic in late December considerably eased resupply and allowed the divisional artillery to join the formation. However, both the Indian divisions were under orders not to get engaged in serious fighting with the Japanese, so the advance stopped there. It is also important to note, in November 1943,  Spitfires were deployed in Bengal for the first time. The 615th and 617th squadrons were based in Chittagong to protect the vital port and also to cover the Arakan. Within one month, the Spitfires destroyed four Japanese photographic reconnaissance aircraft. Previously, the Dinah's range, speed and height had enabled them to fly with impunity over the Allied forward bases and the Hurricanes were unable to catch them. The Japanese reacted by sending out fighter sweeps in order to test the Spitfires and whittle down Spitfire strength. However, by the end of December, the Japanese lost 22 aircraft, another 33 were damaged, and the Allied loss was only 13 aircraft. The greatest air battle occurred on the last day of 1943. On that day, No. 136 Squadron destroyed 12 and damaged 11 when a mixed force of Japanese fighters and bombers attempted to attack the light naval force along the Arakan Coast. The Japanese carried out one strategic attack when on 5 December 1943, 60 bombers and fighters, including some naval aircraft, in two waves bombed Calcutta. The Japanese lost two aircraft and another five were damaged. The three and a half squadrons of Hurricane fighters, including half a squadron of night fighters which were defending the area lost five aircraft and another six were damaged.  To the west the 5th Indian Division had also encountered stiffening resistance from Japanese outposts as it advanced southwards along the coastal plain towards Maungdaw, through the foothills further north and along the spine of the jungle-clad Mayu Mountains. They soon discovered that overcoming Japanese bunker defenses presented particular difficulties. As the division would report "The great difficulty in attacking Jap "hill top" positions lies in the concealment of the actual bunker or weapon pit' one brigade commander later wrote, and in the practical impossibility of deploying attacking troops in thick jungle, particularly where the approach runs along the top of a razor backed ridge.' In each case, patrols infiltrated between these localities isolated them from supplies and reinforcements with the result that Japanese normally gave up ground without a contest. A newsletter prepared by the HQ of 5th Indian Division reported: 'The only way to deal with the Jap def positions is by INFILTRATION. Recent experience has shown that the Jap has produced nothing new in def tactics... It is almost physically impossible in hilly and thick country to have every post covered by another, the posts can be eliminated piece- meal by infiltration tactics.' After the outline of the main Japanese defenses became apparent this approach was also increasingly applied at brigade level. At the end of December 1943, the 5th Indian Division held the area from the sea to the crest of the Mayu Peninsula and the 7th Indian Division moved into the Kalapanzin Valley. By the end of the month they reached Maungdaw. The advancing 5th Indian Division discovered that frontal assaults could not be completely avoided, however, when Japanese troops were determined to stay put. During this advance, the 161st Brigade moved to the high ground to the northeast of Bakkagona about five miles to the north of Razabil. On 30th December, 161st Indian Infantry Brigade assaulted Point 124, but the 4/7th Rajputs were held up by dense jungle and heavy mortar and machine fire and suffered heavy casualties. For six days assaults continued with the forward infantry regularly reaching the Japanese defenses before being driven off by showers of hand grenades and supporting machine-gun from every other enemy defensive position within range. Only after a 'policy of strangulation, starvation, and attrition was adopted', did its defenders withdraw. The 5th Indian Division immediately began probing the main Razabil defenses, while its 123rd Indian Infantry Brigade patrolled the western foothills of the Mayu Range and northern side of Razabil, particularly two hill positions dubbed Wrencat and Wrenkitten. To do so an indirect approach was again advocated by Major-General Harold Briggs in note on tactical policy issued on 4th January, stressing the importance of patrolling to identify positions held by the Japanese and infiltration to seize vital ground in their flanks or rear that would either provoke Japanese counterattacks or force a withdrawal. Meanwhile Stilwell arrived to Shingbwiyang on December 21st and assumed command of the Chinese forces in India. To relive the trapped battalion of the 112th regiment at Yupbang Ga, Stilwell and General Sun planned to send the entire 114th regiment to break the Japanese center at Yupang Ga to rescue the 112th, then hook north to envelope the northern fragment of the Japanese defensive line. On December 24th, they unleashed artillery and launched the infantry into the Japanese lines. The 114th regiment managed to envelop the Japanese right flank by the afternoon and soon a breakthrough emerged allowing for them to make contact with the 112th. Sun's men then surrounded the Japanese pocket during the night and would wipe them out the next morning. And thus the Chinese had gained their first victory at Yupbang Ha, though the Japanese still held the river crossing, so Stilwell began plans for another assault set after Christmas. On December 28th, Sun ordered 3 battalions to attack the north, while the 1st battalion, 112th regiment would sweep to the right, getting behind the 3 Japanese outer strongpoints. The chinese forces rapidly broke the Japanese outer defenses creating a breach while the 1st battalion, 114th regiment broke through the river defensive line. The Japanese tossed a large counterattack, but it would be repelled by the night time. Now Yupbang Ga was in allied hands as the surviving Japanese companies split into smaller groups trying to hold out for many days. With the fall of Yupbang Ga, the Japanese were forced to withdraw from Sharaw Ga as well, so elements of the 2rd battalion, 113th Regiment were be able to seize it by December 30. In the meantime, as the 22nd Division's 65th Regiment had been sent towards the Taro Plain to try and secure the southern flank, the 2nd and 3rd Battalions of the 114th Regiment had been sent south to cross the Tanai Hka at the Kantau ford in an effort to cut off the enemy withdrawal line. By the end of 1943, with the loss of 315 killed and 429 wounded, Sun's 38th Division had gained complete control of the Tarung Hka.  I would like to take this time to remind you all that this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Please go subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry after that, give my personal channel a look over at The Pacific War Channel at Youtube, it would mean a lot to me. Things were deteriorating for the Japanese on New Britain as American Marines were seizing features and gradually pushing them into Borgan Bay. Within the CBI theater a ton of drama amongst the high commanders was surprisingly not resulting in disaster, as operations in Burma were kicking off with great results. Perhaps Burma could be saved.